Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Autumn Docking

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that boat shoes are my go to footwear. They look great (classic style, lines) and are comfortable as anything you can wear on your feet. With autumn around the corner it's time to ditch those boat shoes...or is it? Enter the boat shoe chukka/boot. These hybrid kicks combine all the styling (and utility) you love and a more cold weather design. With an added upper it is now okay to wear socks, a big "no-no" when wearing traditional boat shoes. This chukka design has been around for a little while, but is just recently getting the treatment from most all boat shoe designers/companies. I am pretty high on the boat shoe chukka and have been trying to get a pair for a while with the big choices being color and material. I have searched high and low for some of the best options in this style and have put them together. They are arranged from cheapest to most expensive along with some comments from myself.

I present to you Sartorially Inclined's Fall Boat/Dock Chukka Primer:

1. Topman Black Ankle Height Boat Shoe...approx. $91 (also available in white)Black is going to be a big theme this fall and these boat shoes piggyback the trend. For those not in the know, Topman is a British brand thus all prices are in pounds and shipping can be hefty.

2. Sperry Authentic Original Chukka...$110Nothing beats the original right? Here we have Sperry's offering in two Fall ready colors. I particularly like the one with flannel accents as it screams colder weather wear instead of Hamptons and sailboats.

3. Original Sperry Topsider Chukka for J. Crew...$125Similar to #2, but with the J. Crew seal of approval which translates to chambray lining and a more unique color scheme. The key difference here is the neutral sole as oppose to the white sole found in #2. This may seem minor but is a major element since white soles are typically found on summer shoes and not fall shoes.

4. Men's Chukka by Band of Outsiders...$240For all our big spenders and trend setters we have the Band of Outsiders and Sperry collaboration. These boat shoe boots are brand new for Fall and continue the history of Band of Outsiders taking everything you thought you knew about Sperrys and absolutely destroying it (in a good way). I def. cant afford these or pull them off, but since this blog isn't ALL about me, they get a shout out. Anything Band of Outsiders touches sells out quick so act soon if you want to get your hands on what are undoubtedly the most coveted kicks of the bunch.